WEBVTT 00:00:01.360 --> 00:00:03.920 Esther chapter five, beautiful passage of scripture. 00:00:04.040 --> 00:00:09.020 Last week, if you remember, we looked at Esther putting her faith in the Lord. 00:00:09.460 --> 00:00:15.860 And today in chapter five, we're going to look at those steps that follow after she's come to rest her faith there. 00:00:15.860 --> 00:00:17.020 What does her life look like? 00:00:17.020 --> 00:00:19.580 What does it entail now that she's put her faith in the Lord? 00:00:19.640 --> 00:00:21.060 Let me start by this question. 00:00:21.880 --> 00:00:29.040 If you were to write a book, I find there's a lot of people, I feel like, that have aspirations to write books and very few that actually see that to its end, 00:00:29.060 --> 00:00:32.220 but we sometimes romanticize the idea of writing a book. 00:00:32.340 --> 00:00:35.820 So we're going to pretend this morning like you're going to be the author of a book. 00:00:35.820 --> 00:00:36.700 You're writing a book. 00:00:37.020 --> 00:00:44.360 And in your book, you decide to include yourself as one of the main characters and you're to that place where you've got to introduce yourself as 00:00:44.360 --> 00:00:46.720 a character in your book. 00:00:47.910 --> 00:00:52.260 You're not going to make up your name and just some separate identity. 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:56.570 You're going to describe actually you as who you are within the content of this book. 00:00:57.300 --> 00:01:04.420 How would you describe yourself or on what basis would you even begin to establish 00:01:04.420 --> 00:01:05.620 the identity of your character? 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:14.400 Would you entertain the idea of writing about you based on what you do, your position in life, 00:01:15.080 --> 00:01:22.740 based on how you feel, based on your personality, based on your looks, maybe 00:01:22.740 --> 00:01:23.350 your possessions? 00:01:24.740 --> 00:01:30.600 I mean, what would you use in order to describe within the content of that book the kind of person that you are? 00:01:32.720 --> 00:01:38.700 The way that we choose to shape our identity is a telltale sign of where those origins come from. 00:01:38.700 --> 00:01:43.940 Where in this world do we find or attribute our worth, value, meaning, purpose? 00:01:44.180 --> 00:01:49.000 What is the foundation for you to communicate the type of person that you are? 00:01:50.240 --> 00:01:52.940 It's revealing to where you find your worth. 00:01:54.500 --> 00:01:59.480 And the book of Esther in chapter five, this is where we discover ourselves. 00:02:00.980 --> 00:02:08.039 Here we're going to find, really, two characters juxtaposed against themselves, which every chapter has done this to this point, but we're going to look at the life 00:02:08.039 --> 00:02:15.120 of Esther, we're going to look at the life of Haman, and we're going to find through the way that they demonstrate themselves and they're described within this 00:02:15.480 --> 00:02:19.500 chapter how they find the worth of who they are. 00:02:19.580 --> 00:02:26.620 We're going to, as we described in this section, really, with Esther, how she gets such a confident identity and then we're 00:02:26.620 --> 00:02:29.280 going to look at the opposite of that in the character of Haman. 00:02:29.660 --> 00:02:36.600 But as we jump into these pages, I'm going to read the first three verses, which is going to give us a backdrop to what this story is about. 00:02:36.820 --> 00:02:42.480 And remember last week, as we talked about there were some certain laws written that were devastating to the Jews. 00:02:42.540 --> 00:02:43.590 And in verse one you see this. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:51.020 Now came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner courtyard of the king's palace in front of the king's 00:02:51.020 --> 00:02:55.940 room, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in throne opposite the entrance to the palace. 00:02:56.860 --> 00:03:02.720 Verse one, Esther has just concluded what we saw at the end of chapter four, which was this three day fast. 00:03:02.880 --> 00:03:04.240 She said, "Get God's people together. 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:05.640 Get the Jewish people together. 00:03:05.660 --> 00:03:11.760 I want you to fast and pray for me because of what I'm about to do." There had been a law written through Haman. 00:03:11.960 --> 00:03:15.670 Haman had come to the king of Persia, which is King Xerxes. 00:03:16.280 --> 00:03:23.340 He'd come to the king with a hatred for the Jewish people, convinced the king to write a law against the Jewish people, which would allow the people in Persia 00:03:23.340 --> 00:03:24.080 to kill the Jews. 00:03:25.860 --> 00:03:28.220 And Esther being a Jew is devastated by this. 00:03:28.260 --> 00:03:30.980 We read about Mordecai last week being devastated by this. 00:03:31.260 --> 00:03:36.800 And Mordecai comes to Esther and says, "You need to go before the king and do what you can to spare our lives. 00:03:37.400 --> 00:03:44.540 Present this to the king and see if king would find favor in your eyes and spare us." And Esther says, "Look, I'll do this. 00:03:44.540 --> 00:03:51.600 But to do this, you need to understand that this is going to break a law and could lead to my death, so 00:03:51.600 --> 00:03:58.700 gather the people together and fast and pray for me." Chapter five, verse one, it's now the conclusion of that, the third 00:03:58.700 --> 00:03:59.080 day. 00:03:59.920 --> 00:04:02.840 Esther has determined that she's going to do this for her people. 00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:10.420 And at the end of the third day, rather than just immediately run before the king, it tells us that Esther puts on her royal robes, meaning to come into the 00:04:10.460 --> 00:04:13.600 King's presence, there was a certain amount of requirement that had to take place. 00:04:13.740 --> 00:04:20.760 One is you couldn't just come before the king, but if you did come before the king, you had to be wearing a certain attire that was worthy before a king. 00:04:22.100 --> 00:04:29.240 And rather than come to the king in sackcloth and ashes as Esther would've been in her state of prayer 00:04:29.240 --> 00:04:36.860 and fasting for three days, she prepares herself to walk in before the king's presence, before his throne 00:04:36.860 --> 00:04:41.900 to declare what is on her heart on behalf of her people. 00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:43.220 And in verse two it says this. 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:50.940 When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the courtyard, she obtained favor in his sight and the king extended to Esther the golden 00:04:50.940 --> 00:04:53.710 scepter which was in his hand. 00:04:54.040 --> 00:04:58.640 So Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter. 00:05:01.140 --> 00:05:06.580 Esther, she risks her life by performing an illegal act. 00:05:07.940 --> 00:05:15.020 Chapter 4 verse 11, when Mordecai said to Esther, "Go before the king and beg for mercy for the Jewish 00:05:15.020 --> 00:05:22.940 people," Esther said to him, "You need to understand all of the king's servants know this law," Chapter 00:05:22.940 --> 00:05:23.800 4, verse 11. 00:05:23.800 --> 00:05:28.720 "To come before the king without being requested by the king is death. 00:05:30.260 --> 00:05:37.480 And the king hasn't asked for my presence for 30 days." And Esther in chapter five verse two, she goes 00:05:37.480 --> 00:05:41.430 before the king at great risk to herself. 00:05:41.480 --> 00:05:48.740 It was considered in the king of Persia's day a threat to the king for anyone to come before his presence without being requested. 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:53.960 I mean, to see that, the guards would be curious as to why someone would be before the king without the king's presence. 00:05:54.040 --> 00:05:56.960 Maybe their intentions were ill-willed towards the king. 00:05:57.000 --> 00:06:04.420 And therefore, since they weren't requested, it's a complete risk to their own life to even come before him and let the king to see 00:06:04.420 --> 00:06:05.120 your presence. 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:11.080 And then in verse three, as Esther touches the scepter, the king has to extend his scepter to the person that approaches him. 00:06:11.080 --> 00:06:16.760 If he doesn't extend his scepter, then off with your head, you're done, life's over, but he extends the scepter. 00:06:17.020 --> 00:06:18.060 Esther touches it. 00:06:18.060 --> 00:06:21.060 In verse three then the king said to her, "What is troubling you, Queen Esther? 00:06:22.220 --> 00:06:23.070 And what is your request? 00:06:23.240 --> 00:06:28.080 Up to half of the kingdom I will give it to you." Now let just say I don't think the king is serious in saying this. 00:06:28.400 --> 00:06:31.550 I think this is just a formal tradition at the time for the king to look good. 00:06:31.880 --> 00:06:38.900 Anyone to take serious this king's statement that I'll give you up to half of my kingdom is probably not a wise idea to then accept that as 00:06:38.900 --> 00:06:46.020 a favor from the king, but it's this ornate way of displaying his splendor to the people, how great a king you are, 00:06:46.020 --> 00:06:48.140 just to praise him and his glory. 00:06:48.840 --> 00:06:50.420 But the king does recognize something. 00:06:51.500 --> 00:06:55.180 He knows that his people know to approach him is illegal and could end their life. 00:06:56.500 --> 00:07:03.580 And he knows that for Esther to conduct herself in this way, that there must be something pressing deep 00:07:03.580 --> 00:07:06.380 within her to risk her life to come before the king. 00:07:06.440 --> 00:07:08.020 And that's why the king asked this question. 00:07:08.780 --> 00:07:15.920 "What's troubling you, Esther?" He would immediately know something is weighing upon her heart. 00:07:16.900 --> 00:07:24.140 And at this point, probably any of us in this moment would react in a way that 00:07:24.140 --> 00:07:26.300 would be of such desperation, right? 00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:30.300 We would fall to our knees and then just spill our beans, right? 00:07:30.300 --> 00:07:37.640 "King, you asked, so let me just tell you everything on my heart and all of the things that are weighing upon me because it is pressing deep within my soul, such anguish 00:07:37.640 --> 00:07:40.140 on my heart that haven't eaten for three days. 00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:43.020 My uncle was in tears in front of the city. 00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:48.840 I mean, I said that my soul, in chapter four, was in deep anguish, looking at Mordecai in his anguish. 00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:50.680 And all of the people are in anguish. 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:52.170 In fact, I'm not the only one that fasted. 00:07:52.280 --> 00:07:59.160 All of the Jewish people faceted." I mean, as soon as the king asked that question, you feel like this is the open door and you just seize the moment, right? 00:08:00.640 --> 00:08:01.100 But not Esther. 00:08:03.100 --> 00:08:04.470 Verse four, just look at these actions. 00:08:04.700 --> 00:08:09.420 It's such patience and dignity she carries within herself in this moment. 00:08:09.780 --> 00:08:17.180 And it says and Esther said, "If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that 00:08:17.180 --> 00:08:21.790 I have prepared for him." I mean, this is incredible. 00:08:23.340 --> 00:08:30.460 Instead of just forthrightly pleading on behalf of her people in the state that she's in, she takes this 00:08:30.460 --> 00:08:31.940 as an opportunity to then serve. 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:35.490 I mean, how many of us are built like that? 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:36.179 Right? 00:08:36.240 --> 00:08:43.480 You think of all of the heartache and struggle that you go through in life and then your immediate response in some adversity that you're facing 00:08:43.480 --> 00:08:43.919 is, "You know what? 00:08:44.120 --> 00:08:49.890 I need to serve some people right now, not just grabbing any ear willing to listen to me and tell them about all the tough things I'm going through. 00:08:50.040 --> 00:08:54.560 I need to be serving right now." And that's the demeanor that Esther carries in this moment. 00:08:54.620 --> 00:08:57.660 She serves and not only does she serve, she serves her enemy. 00:08:57.660 --> 00:09:00.920 We're going to find that she doesn't just talk to the king about coming to this banquet. 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:05.540 She invites Haman to eat with her and the king. 00:09:05.580 --> 00:09:13.220 And some have wondered why in the world would Esther invite Haman, the one who's written the law against her own people? 00:09:13.240 --> 00:09:15.220 Let me just speculate for a moment. 00:09:15.280 --> 00:09:18.880 This is purely speculative, but read between the lines of what's taking place. 00:09:19.520 --> 00:09:27.200 If Esther didn't allow Haman to this dinner that she's about to have for the king and Haman, then 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:34.760 it leaves open the opportunity for Haman to escape the scenario that he has established for the Jewish people, meaning 00:09:34.760 --> 00:09:37.260 it can turn into a battle of he said, she said. 00:09:37.660 --> 00:09:43.180 If the king invited Esther in and says, "Okay, Esther, tell me what's on your heart," and Esther just immediately says, "It's Haman. 00:09:43.260 --> 00:09:46.460 You got to understand what Haman did," and Haman's not even present in the room. 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:52.840 Then they've got to go find Haman to have this back and forth over how to fix the scenario, but Esther doesn't want to handle it like this. 00:09:54.300 --> 00:09:55.180 That's not what's going to take place. 00:09:56.380 --> 00:10:03.860 Esther's going to confront the evil and she's going to confront the evil right before her to make sure that the matter is resolved 00:10:03.860 --> 00:10:04.820 in those moments. 00:10:05.460 --> 00:10:06.260 This is not going to perpetuate. 00:10:06.700 --> 00:10:08.400 There's lives at stake. 00:10:08.640 --> 00:10:09.860 There's urgency in the moment. 00:10:09.860 --> 00:10:14.040 This is sinful, this is wrong, this is evil, and this needs to be dealt with right now. 00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:23.440 And so Esther invites the king and Haman to this dinner and then 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:30.460 verse five and six goes on and it says then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly so that we may do as Esther desires." So the 00:10:30.520 --> 00:10:34.030 king and Haman came to the banquet which Esther had prepared. 00:10:35.480 --> 00:10:38.140 Very interesting on Esther's behavior here. 00:10:38.180 --> 00:10:45.220 She's stepping into this with such faith that not only did Esther risk her life to come before the king and make this 00:10:45.220 --> 00:10:52.560 request, but Esther with such confidence in her position before the Lord, Esther has already 00:10:52.560 --> 00:10:55.620 established the meal that she's about to invite the king and Haman to. 00:10:56.540 --> 00:10:59.260 I mean, she's already prepared the way for the Lord to continue to work. 00:10:59.860 --> 00:11:07.100 She's already used the opportunity that God has given her as a conduit for his glory to set the table, literally, for the opportunity for God 00:11:07.100 --> 00:11:10.100 to rescue his people, for the Lord to move in that moment. 00:11:10.360 --> 00:11:16.000 It's not to say that God needs us but it's to recognize that God has given us certain abilities and capabilities. 00:11:16.020 --> 00:11:23.510 And rather than just sit on her hands, she saw this as an opportunity to prepare the way for what God ultimately wanted to do on behalf of his people. 00:11:24.520 --> 00:11:31.680 And so Esther when she comes before the king, she requests the King's presence but Esther proactively has already prepared the food for 00:11:31.680 --> 00:11:33.320 which she's going to invite the king to. 00:11:35.340 --> 00:11:36.820 I think it's a beautiful reminder for us. 00:11:39.400 --> 00:11:42.230 Don't wait to recognize where God is on the move. 00:11:43.740 --> 00:11:50.260 Begin to prepare your heart and the platform for God to work through your lives. 00:11:52.180 --> 00:11:54.020 And this is what Esther does with this meal. 00:11:54.040 --> 00:12:01.640 This is why Xerxes, in the immediacy of this moment, demanded that Haman hastily come to what Esther 00:12:01.660 --> 00:12:03.080 the queen has prepared. 00:12:03.080 --> 00:12:06.400 In verse six, and they drank their wine at the banquet. 00:12:06.420 --> 00:12:10.040 The king said to Esther, "What is your request, for it shall be granted to you. 00:12:10.340 --> 00:12:11.220 And what is your wish? 00:12:11.380 --> 00:12:18.900 Up to half of the kingdom it shall be done." Now, let just say here, there is some wisdom here, ladies, on this. 00:12:19.680 --> 00:12:24.040 Especially for the ladies, but maybe we could generally say for everybody, but especially for the ladies. 00:12:24.040 --> 00:12:25.340 Let me just share this. 00:12:25.800 --> 00:12:32.800 If you're going to make a big request for any guy, towards any guy, the best thing to do, and especially with your husband as we see her with 00:12:32.800 --> 00:12:36.380 Xerxes and Esther is wait till his belly is full, right? 00:12:36.380 --> 00:12:42.020 The best time to ask is after he has filled himself with the happiest of meals in life. 00:12:42.020 --> 00:12:43.940 Then you hit him with whatever it is that you want. 00:12:44.180 --> 00:12:45.980 And this is what Esther's doing in this story. 00:12:46.680 --> 00:12:52.980 She gets asked the same question before King Xerxes. 00:12:53.020 --> 00:12:54.900 And then look at her request, verse seven and eight. 00:12:54.940 --> 00:12:56.840 She lays this request out once again. 00:12:57.740 --> 00:12:59.660 There we go. 00:13:00.020 --> 00:13:07.060 So Esther replied, "My request and my wish is if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if 00:13:07.060 --> 00:13:14.540 it pleases the king to grant my request and do what I wish," and this is crazy, "May the king and 00:13:14.540 --> 00:13:21.580 Haman come to the banquet which I have prepared for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king says." What is Esther's 00:13:21.580 --> 00:13:22.180 request? 00:13:22.220 --> 00:13:23.030 She's like, "You know what? 00:13:23.620 --> 00:13:28.040 I served my enemy and I'm going to do it again." She sets up another banquet. 00:13:28.060 --> 00:13:35.320 Her request is, "Come to another banquet." We know what's pressing in the life of Esther and all the Jewish people 00:13:35.320 --> 00:13:42.540 here, but Esther's request is, "Come to another banquet." Now we speculated why Esther would request come 00:13:42.540 --> 00:13:44.080 to the banquet once. 00:13:44.880 --> 00:13:48.080 But I think it's worth asking the question, why does she do it a second time? 00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:52.160 Why would Esther request this a second time of the king? 00:13:52.760 --> 00:13:56.540 Why not just share with the king what is on her heart? 00:13:56.540 --> 00:14:03.580 Now, to reach a conclusion, again, purely speculative, but let me just give you maybe a 00:14:03.580 --> 00:14:06.600 thought as to why I think Esther's doing what she's doing. 00:14:09.420 --> 00:14:16.880 The accusation against Esther and all of the Jewish people was 00:14:16.880 --> 00:14:18.940 given by Haman in chapter three, verse eight. 00:14:20.140 --> 00:14:26.740 And the way that Haman presented the Jewish people to Xerxes, he didn't identify the Jewish people. 00:14:26.740 --> 00:14:32.640 He said, "There is a people in your kingdom that obey their laws rather than your laws. 00:14:32.640 --> 00:14:33.820 They're a thorn in your side. 00:14:33.820 --> 00:14:38.100 They're going to be disrespectful to you and the best thing that you can do is just get rid of them. 00:14:38.160 --> 00:14:41.880 And if you get rid of them, I'll make you rich." That's proposal Haman has made. 00:14:44.440 --> 00:14:51.440 I think in knowing this on the back end of this, Esther wants to demonstrate the integrity of her people in a way that's otherwise 00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:53.090 been stated to the king. 00:14:54.860 --> 00:15:00.680 She wants to demonstrate through her actions that the accusation that Haman made isn't true. 00:15:01.580 --> 00:15:08.600 And she composes herself as an individual that honors and shows respect to the king and serves 00:15:08.600 --> 00:15:08.920 well. 00:15:10.840 --> 00:15:18.240 I think that kind of heart, when you see that kind of heart demonstrated in someone, it is difficult, over 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:25.240 a period of time and seeing that perpetuated, to then look at someone else who simply makes verbal accusations and 00:15:25.240 --> 00:15:29.910 believe the accusations over and above the behavior you've seen demonstrated in the life of an individual. 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:33.980 And guys, the same thing's true for us in this world, right? 00:15:34.760 --> 00:15:43.320 People aren't always going to like what you do, but continue to be the kind of person that God calls you to be because 00:15:43.320 --> 00:15:50.380 the perpetuation of that type of character will speak volumes far and above any accusation someone makes 00:15:50.380 --> 00:15:51.670 against you. 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:56.170 And this is exactly what Esther does. 00:15:57.520 --> 00:16:01.360 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 23 gives us a similar idea. 00:16:01.380 --> 00:16:08.740 If you ever read the book of 1 Peter chapter two to chapter four are all about how to live our lives in light of responsive 00:16:08.740 --> 00:16:08.840 persecution. 00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:12.680 Who are we to be as God's people? 00:16:13.080 --> 00:16:20.120 And we can go around verbally trying to defend ourselves all day long but the thing that speaks is the way that you choose to live your life in light of 00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:20.520 that. 00:16:21.660 --> 00:16:26.640 Don't hand over to someone else the kind of person they claim that you are, right? 00:16:26.660 --> 00:16:30.760 Don't, give into that, but continue to live the kind of life that God calls you to be. 00:16:30.820 --> 00:16:36.290 In 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 23, when he was reviled, talking about Jesus, he did not revile in return. 00:16:36.380 --> 00:16:42.820 When he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued to entrust himself to the one who judges justly. 00:16:44.540 --> 00:16:49.180 Jesus becomes our example in how we live our lives. 00:16:49.220 --> 00:16:56.420 And what you see in the character of Esther, the actions of Esther are a proof of the identity 00:16:56.560 --> 00:16:59.400 of which she's established herself in the previous chapter. 00:17:01.040 --> 00:17:06.400 And chapter three became that faith chapter for Esther where she put her trust in who God was. 00:17:06.420 --> 00:17:13.520 Maybe in her life she probably knew about God, but there became a moment where not only did she intellectually ascent to the knowledge of God, 00:17:13.760 --> 00:17:15.900 but her life now rested in his hands. 00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:23.130 And her identity Was established there. 00:17:24.099 --> 00:17:27.780 And through that identity we learn many things about Esther. 00:17:29.180 --> 00:17:35.310 I mean, you see in this book, remember who she was When the book of Esther started? 00:17:37.160 --> 00:17:42.960 She was a young lady, she was adopted by Mordecai. 00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:44.820 Her parents were no longer alive. 00:17:44.820 --> 00:17:46.600 She's adopted by Mordecai. 00:17:47.600 --> 00:17:53.980 And Mordecai, at least from the narrative, we gather that Mordecai just hands her over to the king. 00:17:53.980 --> 00:17:55.340 He doesn't fight for her. 00:17:55.340 --> 00:17:56.960 He doesn't try to protect her. 00:17:56.960 --> 00:18:00.880 The king wanted to bring a bunch of women into his harem and choose one to marry. 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:08.260 And it just looks like in the narrative that Mordecai just hands her over and potentially one of the reasons Mordecai just hands her over is because Mordecai 00:18:08.260 --> 00:18:11.280 is interested in the political position he might receive from this. 00:18:11.640 --> 00:18:16.160 You can't say that fully in the book of Esther, but at least laid out the argument that's a possibility. 00:18:17.160 --> 00:18:22.740 And then when Esther goes into the kingdom with the king, she's told to deny her Jewishness. 00:18:22.780 --> 00:18:30.060 In fact, she goes against Jewish law and she eats food that would've not been kosher or been against everything that Jews are supposed to be. 00:18:30.060 --> 00:18:34.260 And in chapter 1, verse 10 and verse 20, Esther's told not to tell anyone that she's Jewish. 00:18:34.340 --> 00:18:38.660 So she denies her heritage and ultimately through denying her heritage, denies the faith. 00:18:41.660 --> 00:18:43.900 And then Esther goes to spend a night with the king. 00:18:45.540 --> 00:18:47.980 And we've talked about what that probably means. 00:18:48.320 --> 00:18:54.300 I've left open she could have spent the night playing UNO and Skip-Bo by a campfire, but probably not, right? 00:18:56.880 --> 00:19:04.820 That's what she did, but what we come to find out in this story is 00:19:04.820 --> 00:19:14.360 that is not who she is, that Esther comes to a place where she recognizes who 00:19:14.360 --> 00:19:16.540 she is to be in the Lord. 00:19:18.520 --> 00:19:22.510 And she takes on a new identity, a new purpose. 00:19:24.160 --> 00:19:27.520 She finds her worth, her value, her meaning. 00:19:29.420 --> 00:19:36.740 Chapter four became that tipping point in her life where that story starts to unfold, where she rather 00:19:36.740 --> 00:19:44.020 than just simply know about God, she puts her faith in God and chooses to pursue him with her life even 00:19:44.020 --> 00:19:47.260 at risk to herself, that she is willing to approach the king. 00:19:47.300 --> 00:19:54.540 And then chapter four verse 14, that is that hinge point verse that we've established this whole series on, even put it on a banner, for such 00:19:54.540 --> 00:19:59.460 a time as this, for such a time as this. 00:19:59.520 --> 00:20:06.940 Chapter 4 verse 14, that Mordecai recognizes to Esther that God's hand has been on her. 00:20:06.940 --> 00:20:14.300 And it's evident through the way that God has orchestrated things to get her to a position before the king of Persia as a 00:20:14.300 --> 00:20:21.360 Jewish lady that was chosen to be a part of the King's harem where it could have potentially been over a thousand women picked to be a part of 00:20:21.360 --> 00:20:21.560 this. 00:20:21.600 --> 00:20:25.300 And out of those women, this one lady has chosen to be the queen. 00:20:27.120 --> 00:20:27.320 For what? 00:20:28.580 --> 00:20:29.020 Randomly? 00:20:31.280 --> 00:20:33.000 But Mordecai recognizes, "No, Esther. 00:20:33.080 --> 00:20:37.740 God's divine hand has known about the need for the Jewish people that would arise. 00:20:38.320 --> 00:20:45.200 And his hand has been all over you for such a time as this." And it's in this moment that Esther, her identity is shaped. 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:52.440 She finds incredible courage resting in the hands of God because she realizes that God's hand has been on 00:20:52.440 --> 00:20:52.800 her. 00:20:52.880 --> 00:21:00.020 She finds incredible worth because she knows that God has become personal to her and God has loved her 00:21:00.020 --> 00:21:07.420 and lavished his love on her and allowed her to be in a position like this, that God, in doing that, has given her purpose 00:21:07.420 --> 00:21:14.860 and given her an identity to stand in him to the point that in verse 16, she so embraces 00:21:14.860 --> 00:21:21.860 that identity that she abandons any other to the point that she says, "And if I perish, I 00:21:21.860 --> 00:21:30.620 perish." She finds her life content in the Lord and 00:21:30.800 --> 00:21:37.640 therefore she serves confidently and she serves securely, even under pressure. 00:21:39.800 --> 00:21:46.820 It's incredible to see because we're about to see unfolding in that the exact opposite is here we have a young lady and she would've been young in this moment 00:21:47.400 --> 00:21:52.900 and under a very intense time in her life and she's confident. 00:21:55.880 --> 00:21:59.360 And she's so confident she's already prepared the meal that she's invited the king to. 00:22:01.120 --> 00:22:08.120 And she's so confident in the way that God has lavished himself up on her that she's even willing to serve others because of the identity she has 00:22:08.120 --> 00:22:11.660 in the Lord in such a time as this. 00:22:13.780 --> 00:22:19.660 This story kind of reminds me, and maybe this will be a bad example so if it's a bad example, I'll never use it again. 00:22:19.660 --> 00:22:26.980 But there are a type of people, and maybe you've been this at some point in your life or maybe now, that they get so 00:22:26.980 --> 00:22:31.460 fanatical about sports that they get their special teams. 00:22:32.260 --> 00:22:39.380 And when you ask them about their special team, if their team plays and you talk to them about their special team, when they start to describe to you their love for the team 00:22:39.380 --> 00:22:46.540 and what happened in the game that was just played about their special team, they don't refer to them as they refer to the team as we. 00:22:46.980 --> 00:22:48.410 You ever talk to those kind of people in sports? 00:22:48.560 --> 00:22:50.500 They wear everything that happens. 00:22:50.780 --> 00:22:51.380 We won. 00:22:51.480 --> 00:22:52.380 It's like, "You play for them? 00:22:52.420 --> 00:22:58.180 When did this happen?" or "We lost," and they're all just sad until the next game when their team might win again. 00:22:58.420 --> 00:23:01.460 They refer to the team in third person of which they're a part of, right? 00:23:01.500 --> 00:23:05.120 There's this plural third person form that it's bizarre, right? 00:23:05.140 --> 00:23:08.080 If you have that kind of love for a team, you need to find new hobby, okay? 00:23:08.080 --> 00:23:09.240 You don't play for them. 00:23:09.240 --> 00:23:10.120 You've never played for them. 00:23:10.120 --> 00:23:11.330 You won't play for them, all right? 00:23:11.520 --> 00:23:12.180 It's they. 00:23:12.240 --> 00:23:13.800 It's not we, it's they. 00:23:14.060 --> 00:23:21.940 But some people get that fanatical about their relationship to their teams, but I would say perhaps 00:23:21.940 --> 00:23:28.940 Esther's confident because her relationship with the Lord is seen the same 00:23:28.940 --> 00:23:29.160 way. 00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:37.380 But the reality is just like sports fans, it's not because we, those that refer to their sports teams as we. 00:23:37.380 --> 00:23:43.460 It's not that they did anything to help the team, they weren't on the field, But the same's true with Jesus. 00:23:46.300 --> 00:23:48.820 We don't do anything to really help the Lord. 00:23:48.860 --> 00:23:52.260 The Lord already has all the strength but he invites us to be a part of the team. 00:23:53.160 --> 00:23:57.460 I mean, when you think about your relationship with God, he has played the greatest game to ever be played. 00:23:57.500 --> 00:24:05.300 And he walked out victoriously and he lets you get to walk on the field with his Jersey and 00:24:05.300 --> 00:24:06.420 he gives you a place to belong. 00:24:08.300 --> 00:24:11.180 And I think in this moment Esther is seeing that play out in her own life. 00:24:11.540 --> 00:24:13.940 "I didn't do anything to be in this position. 00:24:14.200 --> 00:24:21.500 I was just born and God's hand, God's favor was upon me and he orchestrated things in such a way to bring me to a place for such 00:24:21.500 --> 00:24:29.120 a time as this." How incredible that God would allow that to 00:24:29.120 --> 00:24:36.680 happen and Esther steps into that identity, incredible confidence, 00:24:37.880 --> 00:24:38.360 incredible security. 00:24:40.020 --> 00:24:43.420 And then you take that story and you juxtapose this now to Haman. 00:24:44.800 --> 00:24:49.300 And you see as this story unfolds that this is a guy that does not have a clue. 00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:55.220 And rather than being secure like Esther, he is completely insecure in his identity. 00:24:55.220 --> 00:25:01.220 In fact, he presents himself in such a way that he is just so needy and desperate, looking for any avenue to show his worth and value. 00:25:01.220 --> 00:25:04.120 Look at this and verse 11, just skipped a little bit ahead for a moment. 00:25:04.140 --> 00:25:06.400 But verse 11, Then Haman told them. 00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:07.920 So Haman will into the dinner party. 00:25:07.940 --> 00:25:11.060 He comes back he's with his family now and it says this. 00:25:11.120 --> 00:25:13.400 And he told them of the glory of his riches. 00:25:13.400 --> 00:25:15.200 He comes back and he's just on cloud nine. 00:25:15.460 --> 00:25:17.520 And he's like, "Let me tell you something about me. 00:25:17.800 --> 00:25:24.950 I want to describe myself in the character of my book for a moment about what makes me so great." And he told them of the glory of his riches, 00:25:25.480 --> 00:25:32.480 and as many sons, and every occasion, which the king had honored him and how he had promoted him above the officials in servants 00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:34.060 of the king. 00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:43.840 Haman presents the identity of where he finds his glory, his 00:25:43.840 --> 00:25:47.020 purpose, his worth, his value. 00:25:49.400 --> 00:25:54.220 And he sees it in everything in this world that he might have his hand in, the places of his success. 00:25:55.480 --> 00:25:56.880 What makes me worth anything? 00:25:57.320 --> 00:25:58.650 Well, let me explain to you my glory. 00:25:58.660 --> 00:25:59.360 I'm rich. 00:25:59.960 --> 00:26:02.700 I have these possessions and I have kids. 00:26:02.900 --> 00:26:08.540 In his time period, a sign of wealth was to see how many children that you could have in this world. 00:26:09.360 --> 00:26:13.660 And every occasion he could think of that he could turn to you and say, "Look at how great I am. 00:26:13.660 --> 00:26:14.620 This makes me so important. 00:26:14.880 --> 00:26:23.300 Remind me of how important I might be by the things that I have in this world." You 00:26:23.300 --> 00:26:32.540 think about it, guys, Lots of things in life you're 00:26:32.540 --> 00:26:33.350 not in charge of. 00:26:35.320 --> 00:26:38.040 They just happen to be what's given to you. 00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:44.900 It's only by the grace of God we have what we have, we are where we are. 00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:49.260 And the Bible tells us every good gift comes from the Lord. 00:26:50.420 --> 00:26:53.030 Let me just give you an example or a few of them. 00:26:54.480 --> 00:27:03.220 You had no control over where you would be born, when you would be born, to whom you would be born, the 00:27:03.220 --> 00:27:08.300 things that you would have when you're born, the mental capacities, the abilities, the gifts. 00:27:09.860 --> 00:27:12.070 None of that was up to you. 00:27:15.460 --> 00:27:19.080 All of that given to you. 00:27:20.020 --> 00:27:22.730 And it doesn't mean you don't work hard for the things that you have. 00:27:22.940 --> 00:27:29.560 You may work hard for those things and hopefully you have the type of demeanor that is a hard worker. 00:27:29.560 --> 00:27:37.040 It's a thing of integrity before for the Lord, that God calls us to be diligent in the things that we do for his glory to the benefit 00:27:37.040 --> 00:27:38.020 and blessing of others. 00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:50.100 But the things that, really, that you've gone through in life to experience, to the start that you've had and where you stand, those 00:27:50.100 --> 00:27:51.560 things were not to you. 00:27:54.100 --> 00:28:00.160 Any good gift that's been given to us ultimately comes from the Lord. 00:28:02.700 --> 00:28:09.720 It's an important posture to carry in this world because I think even within our own culture, we've got to be careful because we live in one of the 00:28:09.720 --> 00:28:15.060 most blessed societies of all of history, but with great blessing comes great responsibility. 00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:24.180 And I find oftentimes in this Christian walk that I encounter some occasions Christians that confuse the American 00:28:24.180 --> 00:28:29.250 dream with Jesus's dream for us, as if they're one and the same. 00:28:31.160 --> 00:28:36.820 I know when a nation follows after the Lord, a lot of times there are just natural blessings that come from following after God. 00:28:38.420 --> 00:28:41.080 But the American dream and Jesus's dream is not the same dream. 00:28:42.660 --> 00:28:49.640 In fact, Jesus told us in Matthew 19:24 that it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich to get into heaven. 00:28:52.460 --> 00:28:59.660 Sometimes we confuse the wealth of what we have with the blessing of God's hand and we don't recognize that quite honestly, those things 00:28:59.660 --> 00:29:02.840 lull us to the sleep to the spiritual need that we really have for Jesus. 00:29:05.320 --> 00:29:12.520 When we look at the physical blessings of this world and we equate it with the things of God, I find that oftentimes it can even be undermining to 00:29:12.520 --> 00:29:17.900 our brothers and sisters around the world that may not have, that love Jesus deeply. 00:29:19.860 --> 00:29:23.200 Doesn't always equate that way that just because you love God, you have lots of things. 00:29:23.380 --> 00:29:26.600 In fact, the majority of Christians don't have lots of things around this world. 00:29:28.340 --> 00:29:34.380 It just so happens that we might find ourselves in a place of blessing in comparison to other places in this world. 00:29:34.800 --> 00:29:38.860 And with that comes opportunity for such a time as this. 00:29:40.320 --> 00:29:43.290 But the danger comes when we find our identity in all of those things. 00:29:44.440 --> 00:29:47.520 We feel like those things are what give us worth and value and meaning. 00:29:47.540 --> 00:29:49.580 And this is Haman in this moment. 00:29:49.580 --> 00:29:56.940 And this is why he is really, even though he is explained this like he's something glorious, he's a person of great desperation, completely insecure in his identity. 00:29:57.060 --> 00:30:04.100 And he needs this kind of affirmation from others and the things that he has in life because he really has no clue who he is even to begin with and who he's under 00:30:04.100 --> 00:30:10.560 authority to and who he's ultimately responsible before because he thinks life is about him. 00:30:12.800 --> 00:30:16.360 And he fails to recognize that it's a gift. 00:30:18.320 --> 00:30:25.680 A humble heart, a generous heart, a serving heart is 00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:32.950 evidence of one who has a proper perspective of where they are in life and why they have what they have. 00:30:33.980 --> 00:30:36.260 It's by the grace of God. 00:30:36.560 --> 00:30:43.760 And when Haman, listing all of these great things that he has and trying to find us worth and value and meaning, I mean, we ultimately see where 00:30:43.760 --> 00:30:51.040 this leads because when he tries to be in control of his own value in this world based on everything that he does, and you 00:30:51.040 --> 00:30:56.470 go back in verse 13 and previous this in just a minute I'll read, but look what look at Haman's posture here is. 00:30:56.500 --> 00:31:01.740 "Yet all of this does not satisfy me." Why? 00:31:03.400 --> 00:31:10.240 "Every time I see Mordecai, the Jew sitting at the king's gate," he goes on and tells us in verse nine. 00:31:10.380 --> 00:31:13.420 Haman went out after feast he had with Esther. 00:31:13.420 --> 00:31:15.940 Haman out that day, joyfully and pleased of his heart. 00:31:16.020 --> 00:31:19.660 He thinks he's great because of what's been given to him, it's all about his identity. 00:31:19.860 --> 00:31:26.810 But when Haman saw Mordecai at the king's gate, that he did not stand up or tremble for him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai. 00:31:27.180 --> 00:31:33.380 Haman controlled himself, however, and he went to his house, but he sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh. 00:31:34.980 --> 00:31:42.020 So Haman, in trying to find his worth in everything because he can't control every circumstance in life and he feels like everything needs to tell him how important he is because he sees himself as 00:31:42.020 --> 00:31:45.360 God, when one thing doesn't go his way, what Haman do? 00:31:46.280 --> 00:31:51.060 He blows up and gets angry to the point that he wants to kill the Jews and he is thinking about Mordecai. 00:31:53.260 --> 00:32:00.280 Haman gets angry because he finds his identity in things and when he can't get the thing to tell 00:32:00.280 --> 00:32:07.920 him that he matters and he's worth something, then he gets angry at the thing, Mordecai. 00:32:09.890 --> 00:32:11.960 Guys, the same thing's true for us. 00:32:14.200 --> 00:32:15.820 What makes you angry? 00:32:19.500 --> 00:32:20.220 What frustrates you? 00:32:20.460 --> 00:32:26.240 When things don't go your way, do you get angry and react? 00:32:29.220 --> 00:32:36.580 It's an indication of where an idol may be in your life, just like Haman in the story. 00:32:37.980 --> 00:32:43.460 And Haman sees Mordecai as the problem and the reality is Mordecai is not the problem. 00:32:43.760 --> 00:32:51.460 Mordecai is an indication of the problem but the problem really more so is resting in the heart of Haman. 00:32:52.580 --> 00:32:58.580 And unfortunately from this point, he gets bad advice because he's surrounded himself with friends who see their worth and identity in the same way. 00:32:58.900 --> 00:33:06.140 In verse 14, Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, "Have a wooden gallow 50 cubits high made and in the morning, ask the king to have Mordecai 00:33:06.280 --> 00:33:12.840 hanged on it, and then go joyfully with the king to the banquet." And the advice pleased Haman, so he had the wooden gallows made. 00:33:13.780 --> 00:33:21.000 If you think this is saying to us 50 cubits high 75 feet, this is just communicating to you how angry that Haman 00:33:21.000 --> 00:33:21.320 has become. 00:33:22.540 --> 00:33:24.880 Who builds something 75 feet high, right? 00:33:25.160 --> 00:33:28.200 And then to think the whole purpose of that is to kill someone on it. 00:33:29.160 --> 00:33:36.260 And that is exaggerated to the extreme of just how infuriated you are and how much you're trying to find your worth in the things 00:33:36.260 --> 00:33:40.020 that this world and all it's going to do is just frustrate you because you can't control it. 00:33:43.480 --> 00:33:45.440 And ultimately there is a better place. 00:33:47.440 --> 00:33:49.000 Coveting is a great joy stealer. 00:33:51.380 --> 00:33:55.600 Esther in the story, confident under pressure. 00:33:57.100 --> 00:34:02.840 Haman in the story really has no pressure, but completely unhappy. 00:34:05.020 --> 00:34:12.040 These two individuals laid out within the context of the book of Esther is to help us reflect in our 00:34:12.040 --> 00:34:15.679 own heart and ask the question how do you respond to adversity? 00:34:18.739 --> 00:34:21.420 It's revealing to the maturity of your faith. 00:34:23.100 --> 00:34:25.560 When in your life do you act like a Haman? 00:34:27.460 --> 00:34:30.380 It's revealing of where your heart might be holding onto high idols. 00:34:31.639 --> 00:34:34.100 And when in your life do you act like an Esther? 00:34:34.320 --> 00:34:36.880 It's revealing if you're trusting in the Lord. 00:34:36.880 --> 00:34:40.040 One is selfish, one is selfless. 00:34:40.840 --> 00:34:46.850 One comes in humble and gets honored, one comes in to be honored and ultimately ends up humble. 00:34:47.659 --> 00:34:53.940 One person leads to death and one path leads to life. 00:34:55.060 --> 00:35:00.080 All of it is determined by discovering where you find your identity. 00:35:01.640 --> 00:35:03.480 Hebrews chapter 13 verse 5 says this. 00:35:03.500 --> 00:35:10.600 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have for he himself 00:35:10.600 --> 00:35:17.600 has said to us, "I will never desert you nor will I ever abandon you," so that 00:35:17.600 --> 00:35:21.860 we may confidently say, "The Lord is my helper. 00:35:22.540 --> 00:35:23.400 I will not be afraid. 00:35:24.020 --> 00:35:31.060 What will man do to me?" I think about the story of Esther and how it plays out 00:35:31.060 --> 00:35:34.500 in this world and how it might repeat itself in our own lives. 00:35:36.260 --> 00:35:44.240 Sometimes it is hard to keep trusting in the Lord when things don't happen in our timing. 00:35:44.800 --> 00:35:51.800 We see who God wants us to be and sometimes when we feel like there's injustices happening, it is difficult to be patient in that 00:35:51.800 --> 00:35:51.900 journey. 00:35:53.240 --> 00:35:55.580 It reminds me of this story and I'll close. 00:35:55.640 --> 00:35:58.550 There's a man by the name of Sam Wesley. 00:35:59.200 --> 00:36:01.740 And you may think to yourself who in the world is Sam Wesley? 00:36:01.920 --> 00:36:08.940 Well, when I'm done with this, I don't care if you remember who Sam Wesley is, even to this moment, but Sam Wesley, what makes Sam 00:36:08.940 --> 00:36:09.720 Wesley unique? 00:36:10.620 --> 00:36:14.260 He was a pastor in up Epworth, London. 00:36:15.780 --> 00:36:19.800 And in 1709 his house caught on fire and he had eight children. 00:36:22.080 --> 00:36:26.800 And the story goes as the house was burning, the kids were rescued except for one. 00:36:27.220 --> 00:36:31.680 There was one in the second floor and the neighbors happened to run over just in time. 00:36:31.740 --> 00:36:33.210 They actually built a ladder. 00:36:33.600 --> 00:36:34.840 Two men built the ladder. 00:36:34.840 --> 00:36:42.100 They climbed up each other and they reached up into the window of the second floor, grabbed the child, pulled the child out just as the roof caved in on the home 00:36:42.100 --> 00:36:42.840 and everything burned. 00:36:44.880 --> 00:36:49.400 Sam Wesley in that moment grabbed the hands of his children and said, "I am still a rich man. 00:36:50.580 --> 00:36:52.360 I may have lost my house, but let it go. 00:36:52.940 --> 00:36:58.490 I am a rich man because I have all of my children." And he knelt down and he prayed. 00:36:59.900 --> 00:37:07.140 This man spent the next 40 years of his life serving as a pastor and it's been remarked about his life that he saw very little fruit, 00:37:07.260 --> 00:37:09.270 but he served faithfully for 40 years. 00:37:10.840 --> 00:37:18.580 What's interesting about Sam Wesley is that the last child pulled out of that fire just as a roof collapsed was 00:37:18.600 --> 00:37:20.060 a child by the name of John Wesley. 00:37:22.320 --> 00:37:25.540 John Wesley went on to reflect on that moment in his life. 00:37:25.660 --> 00:37:31.420 He was six years old and he would often refer to himself as one plucked from the fire. 00:37:32.540 --> 00:37:39.980 John Wesley went on in his life to see in his lifetime over 500 people go into the pastoral ministry under him and 00:37:39.980 --> 00:37:41.920 tens of thousands of people trust in Christ. 00:37:43.800 --> 00:37:52.280 What is even more powerful about his story is that John Wesley's ministry didn't really kick off until about 1735. 00:37:53.280 --> 00:38:00.440 And if you look at the life of Sam Wesley, you'll see Sam Wesley never lived to see the success of the fruit of 00:38:00.440 --> 00:38:01.380 his son, John Wesley. 00:38:03.080 --> 00:38:06.440 But John Wesley remembered that moment that God spared his life. 00:38:08.200 --> 00:38:10.040 Sam Wesley played a part of that. 00:38:11.300 --> 00:38:18.400 And guys, when I think about our journeys, we don't serve the Lord because 00:38:18.400 --> 00:38:19.240 of results. 00:38:21.800 --> 00:38:27.140 We live it because it's true and the Lord is worth trusting in. 00:38:29.640 --> 00:38:36.440 God works those things out in his timing, but the beauty to the Lord isn't the results of Sam Wesley's life. 00:38:38.240 --> 00:38:42.580 The beauty to the Lord is that Sam Wesley was faithful to Christ, period. 00:38:44.300 --> 00:38:45.240 And the same is true with Esther. 00:38:47.240 --> 00:38:54.340 For such a time as this, but she even knew in being faithful to God, "If I perish, I perish, but either way God is worth it because of what 00:38:55.060 --> 00:39:01.920 God means to me." Your identity is secure and confident. 00:39:03.360 --> 00:39:10.500 When we see our value in a God who pursues us the same, who loves us, who's walked with us, who's brought 00:39:10.500 --> 00:39:17.520 us to a place like this, for such a time as this, that we in our lives could be a conduit for his glory in 00:39:17.520 --> 00:39:27.650 this world, if we would but trust him and faithfully walk with him.